In this Book
- Preference Pollution: How Markets Create the Desires We Dislike
- Book
- 2009
- Published by: University of Michigan Press
- Series: Economics, Cognition, and Society
summary
Seldom considered is whether markets do an adequate job of shaping our tastes. David George argues that they do not, and that the standard economic definition of efficiency can be used to demonstrate that the market ignores people's desires about their desires. He concludes that markets perform poorly with respect to second-order preferences, thus worsening the problem of undesired desires. The book further investigates changes in perceptions and public policy toward such activities as gambling, credit, entertainment, and sexual behavior.
David George is Chair and Professor Economics, LaSalle University.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-xi
- 2. Freedom to Choose
- pp. 15-40
- 5. Market Failure or Human Imperfection?
- pp. 91-104
- 6. The Critic's Retreat
- pp. 105-114
- 8. Risk Taking: The Rise of the Gambler
- pp. 125-136
- 9. The Surge of Consumer Credit
- pp. 137-154
- 10. Conclusion
- pp. 155-162
- References
- pp. 181-194
Additional Information
ISBN
9780472023493
Related ISBN(s)
9780472089499, 9780472112203
MARC Record
OCLC
794702102
Pages
213
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No